Apparatus for trimming blocks of clay.



PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

I. L. GONKLING. APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING BLOCKS 0F CLAY.

APPLICATION nun APR. 17, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1'.

' H0 MODEL.

.INVENTOB:

WITNESSES:

0,. ruoYoLrmQ. WASHINQYON, n. c.

PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

, I. L. CONKLING. APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING BLOCKS 0F CLAY.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 1901.

2 SHBETS--SHBET 2.

N0 MODEL.

- WITNESSES:

[N VENTOlR i TOUYHO" WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRA LEWIS CONK-LING, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING BLOCKS OF CLAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,544, dated January 6, 1903.

' Application filed April 17, 1901. Serial No. 56,245. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IRA LEWIS OONKLING, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Trimming Blocks of Clay, of which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of terra cotta blocks it has been the practice to prepare the clay, shape it to the required form in a press, mold; orother apparatus, and subsequently dry the formed blocks either in a kiln or by prolonged exposure to the atmosphere.

In practice it has been found, however, that the form so imparted to the mass becomes in the course of the drying operation changed by reason of the readjustment and settling of the solid particles, occurring as a consequence of the expulsion of the-water, with the result that it is practically impossible to secure, by the practice referred to, completed blocks of precisely the desired form.

As the shrinkage and settling are greater in some blocks than others, it is impossible to mold or press the blocks to such dimensions as will uniformly compensate or allow forjthe change of form in shrinking; moreover, the completely dried blocks are of such hardness that it is impracticable to reduce them to the desired shape by subsequent cutting operations.

My invention aims to provide means to secure terra cotta blocks which shall, without detriment to their durability and essential characteristics, be accurately shaped to the required form.

In the drying of the terra cotta blocks, first, the moisture gradually exudes and the solid materials readjust themselves to such extent as the expulsion of the water necessitates, and settle to some extent, and, second, the solid materials finally set and harden in the form they have assumed.

My invention, generally stated, comprehends the provision of an apparatus in and by which a block when it has in the course of drying reached the stage at which all or practically all of. the settling or change of shape to which it is liable has been undergone, and

it has begun, or is about to begin, to set, may

be operated upon to trim its surface to such degree as shall reduce it to the required dimensions.

In the accompanying drawings I show, and heroin I describe, an apparatus embodying a good form of my invention, the particular subject-matter claimed as novel being hereinafter definitely specified.

- In the accompanying drawings,

Figure I is a top plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention.

Figure II is a transverse section of the wheeled carrier, section being supposed on the dotted line Illl of Figure I.

Figure III isa detailed view of the carrierdrawing gear wheels and the associated sliding frame and operating lever, removed from the apparatus.

Figure IV is a view in side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention, sight being supposed taken toward the right hand side thereof.

Figure V is a view in elevation of the upper swinging trimmer frame removed from the machine.

Figure VI is a view in edge elevation of the frame shown in Figure V.

Figure VII is a fragmentary section on the line VIIVII of Figure IV.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the accompanying drawings,

1 is a way of any suitable character and dimensions, shown, however, as a two-railed track, on which runs a wheeled carrier 2.

The carrier is shown as provided on its upper surface with a pair of longitudinally extending side pieces 3 vertically through which extend threaded bolts passing through transverse slots 4 in the carrier body, as shown in Figure I.

A transversely extending bar 5,resting upon and temporarily secured to, the side pieces 3, secures a block resting upon the carrier from sliding rearwardly, thereon under the action of the trimming knives.

The side pieces may be adjusted toward and from each other, and by tightening up the nuts on the ends of the bolts secured in the positions to which they are adjusted.

A block to be operated upon is placed upon the carrier and when in position rests upon the side pieces which operate to hold it sufficiently above the carrier body to allow the full depth of its sides to be trimmed off.

A fixed longitudinally extending rack 6 depends below the carrier, as shown especially in Figure II, and is engaged by positively driven gears to occasion the travel of the carrier along the Way.

The positively driven gears referred to, designated 7 and 8, are formed or provided with suitable hubs which are keyed upon trans versely extending shafts 9 and 10, disposed in the lower part of the apparatus and between the rails of the way.

11 is a sliding frame, mounted on the shafts 9 and 10, which frame embraces or incloses the gears 7 and 8 and their hubs, and by the movement of which longitudinally of said shafts 9 and 10 the hubs and gears are caused to similarly move longitudinallyof said shafts, and are in such movement carried into and out of alinement with the rack 6 of the carrier.

As a means for shifting the sliding frame and said wheels I connect to said frame a link 12 (see Figure III) extending out to the side of the apparatus where it is pivotally attached to the lower end of a shifting device such as the lever 13 in turn pivotally connected to a part of the framework of the apparatus.

Manifestly by the throw of the handle or lever 13 the sliding frame and the parts controlled by it may be thrown in one direction or the other, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure III.

That the sliding frame may be operated from either side of the apparatus, I provide the lever 13, which is located at its left side, with an operating bar 14 extending over to the right side thereof, as shown in Figures I and III.

The framework of the apparatus, which is designated 15, and which may, of course, be of such general form and arrangement as may be required, supports in adjacency to the path traversed by the carrier and its supported block of clay or terra cotta (not shown) in their passage, the instrumentalities which operate upon such block.

As the apparatus illustrated is organized it is arranged to perform a trimming or shaping operation upon three faces of a block submitted to its action, and accordingly employs three trimming knives,two of which work respectively upon the two side faces, and the third upon the upper face, of the block.

Each of the trimming knives is mounted upon a movable or swinging trimmer frame, so as to be capable of swinging toward and from the center of the apparatus to operate upon blocks of a larger or smaller size as de sired,and each knife is, as the apparatus is organized, driven by a pulley belt which connects a driven pulley concentric with such knife and a driving pulley concentric with the fixed axis of motion of the swinging frame, each such driving pulley being in turn actuated from a main shaft through an interposed belt and pulleys.

As a result of this arrangement not only is the employment of driving belts in the operation of the apparatus rendered possible, but said belts are self-adjusting in the movement of the swinging frames to their different sets.

The three swinging trimmer frames 16, 17,

and 18, are preferably counterparts and description of one will suffice for all; I proceed, therefore, to describe one of the two side swinging frames 16 and 17.

19 is a shaft Vertically disposed free for rotation in the framework at one side of the Way and bearing the driven pulley 20 and the driving pulley 21, both of which pulleys rotate with said shaft.

The inner end of the swinging trimmer frame has two extensions through apertures in which the shaft 19 loosely extends.

The main frame 15 is provided with a pair of bored trunnions 15 (see Figure VII), attached to it in any suitable manner, and located the one above and the other below the inner ends (that is the ends remote from the knife) of the swinging frame 16, and extending into the adjacent portions of the upper and lower horizontal bars of such frame.

In Figure VII I show the trunnion, 15, which extends into the upper horizontal bar of such frame 16. The corresponding trunnion which, secured to the lower portion of the main frame, extends into the lower horizontal member of the swinging frame 16, is not illustrated in detail,it is, however, conveniently a reversely disposed counterpart of that shown in Figure VII.

On this pair of trunnions, 15*, the frame has its swinging motion. The shaft 19 extends through the bores of said trunnions. The rotation of the shaft 19 in the operation of the apparatus, does not, owing to this arrangement, occasion movement of the swinging frame.

22 is a trimming knife, happening to be of the rotating variety, mounted in vertical position between suitable horizontal extensions in the free or outer end of the swinging frame, (see Figure V.) The lower axle of the knife is entered in a suitable recess in the lower of such horizontal projections, and the upper axle is entered and secured by a screw in a sleeve 23 secured to the lower end of the knife shaft 24 which extends up through two horizontal projections carried by said frame and between which said shaft is provided with a pulley 25.

The trimming knives which operate to trim or smooth the faces of the blocks subjected to their action are each preferably arranged as an elongated structure having a series of outwardly projected longitudinally extending blades preferably arranged spirally with respect to the axis of such structure.

The main driving shaft 26 conveniently extends across the top of the main frame, and is provided with a driven pulley operated from any convenient motor, not shown, by the belt 27, (see Figure IV.)

28 is a driving belt conveying power from a driving pulley on the main shaft to the driven pulley on the shaft 19, and 29 is a belt conveying power from the driving pulley 21 on said shaft 19 to the pulley on the knife shaft 24.

It will now be understood that the three swinging frames, which are similarly mounted, are free for swinging movement toward and from the carrier way, to set the three trimming knives 22 into the desired operative positions in connection with the blocks carried through the way.

It will also be understood that through the system of belts and pulleys described the rotation of the main shaft is communicated uninterruptedly to the several knife shafts and trimming knives in all positions of the swinging frames, no adjustment of the belts or pulleys being required in connection with the manipulation or adjustment of said frames.

Means are to be provided to secure the swinging frames in the various positions of adjustment in which they are from time to time set.

In the apparatus illustrated I provide as such means the slotted holder bars 30, one of which is secured to each of the frames and extends outward therefrom, and I mount upon adjacent portions of the fixed framework of the apparatus suitable clamps of any preferred construction with which said slotted arms are respectively in sliding engagement.

The frames are approximately adjusted by securing the bars to the clamps, a further and quite fine adjustment, if desired, being made by means of adjusting screws of well knowncharacter working in connection with said clamps.

As will be readily understood, the tightening up of the clamps when the swinging frames are in the desired positions, will, through said arms or bars 30 which are by said clamps tightly secured with relation to the frame of the apparatus, firmly secure said swinging frames.

The upper swinging frame 18 is substantially similar to the frames 16 and 17,and similarly operated. Its shaft 19, however, is horizontally disposed at the upper portion of the, framework of the apparatus, and said frame.

18 as an entirety has, of course, swinging movement in a vertical plane.

The driven pulley 20 of the upper swinging frame 18 happens to be intermediate of the length of the shaft 19 instead of at the end of said shaft as in the side swinging frames 16 and 17. The trunnions 15 may, if desired, be omitted in connection with the frame 18. They are not in fact essential in connection with any of the swinging frames.

In the vertical movement of the frame 18 its trimming knife is, of course, carried from and toward the upper surface of a block caused to pass along the way.

As the trimming knives will more or less frequently require to be removed to the ground,

I have arranged for their very expeditious detachment from the machine by resort to the construction described, that is to say, upon loosenin g the two screws engaged in the sleeve 23 of a knife, said sleeve may be slipped upwardly along the shaft 24 until it clearsthe axle of the knife. The knife as a whole may thereupon be lifted to carry the other end of its axle out of its bearing in the other member of the swinging frame, said knife, in connection with beingliftedbeing also, if necessary, slightly tilted.

As a means for driving the shafts 9 and 10 from the main shaft, I provide a belt 31 connective of a pulley on said main shaft and a driven pulley on a countershaft 32, and I connect said countershaft 32 by a chain and sprocket gear 33 with a worm shaft 34, worms at the respective extremities of which are engaged with worm wheels 35 on the adjacent ends of said shafts 9 and 10.

Manifestly through the arrangement de- 7 scribed said shafts 9 and 10 will be positively driven at acommon speed.

Two chains 33 are connected with the respective shafts 32 and 34 through suitable chain wheels, certain of said wheels being as shown of differing dimensions, and I lock fast to the respective shafts the hubs of the two wheels associated with one chain, or the two associated with the other chain, thus employing the respective chains and their associated wheels alternately, according to the speed at whichldesire the shafts 9 and 10 driven.

I find it convenient to mount a balance wheel 36 on the shaft 32.

The operation of the apparatus will be sufficiently understood from the description hereiubefore contained. The carrier is caused to reciprocate backward and forward upon the way, a block being placed in position upon it when it is at the starting point, as shown in supplemented afterthe carrier is sufficiently advanced by the gear 8.

After the carrier has traveled as far along the way as is desired, and the block has been removed, after having been operated upon by the trimming knives, the throw of the shifting bar or lever 13 will occasion the movement of the gears 7 and 8 out of line with said rack, and thereupon said carrier may be manually impelled backward along the way and through the apparatus to the starting point as shown in Figure I. I

The rotating knives being maintained fixedly in the positions to which they are adjusted, and caused to rotate uniformly and rapidly, it is apparent that the three sides of the block, upon which the particular machine illustrated is adapted to operate, will be reduced to faces of smooth and uniform character.

Terra cotta blocks employed in buildings are very often scored or marked with parallel grooves on those faces which are in the completed building exposed to view, and I may employ in connection with the trimming apparatus herein described, mechanically operated means for providing a selected face or faces of a block, after having been operated upon by the apparatus herein set forth, with grooves or scorings of the desired character. Such apparatus may obviously be so arranged in connection with the apparatus herein illustrated and described, that the block after having been carried past the trim ming knives of the machine herein shown, will be carried directly into range of the cutters or other devices employed in imparting the desired scoring or marking. Many changes in the construction and arrangement of the several parts may, of course, be made without departure from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim,-

1. In an apparatus for operating on blocks of clay, in combination, a way, a carrier adapted to travel upon said way, a tool or implement, adapted to operate on a block carried on said carrier, means for operating said tool or implement, arack connected with said carrier, a gear adapted to engage said rack,

- driving mechanism for said gear, and means for shifting the gear longitudinally of its axis out of alinement with the rack, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for operating on blocks of clay, in combination, a way, a carrier adapted to travel upon said way, a tool or implement, adapted to operate upon a block carried on said carrier, means for operating said tool or implement, a rack connected with said carrier,a gear mounted upon a shaft transverse with respect to the way, meansfor rotating said gear, a shifting device, a frame encompassing said gear, said frame and said gear being adapted for movement longitudinally of the axis of the gear, and a connection between said shifting device and said frame, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus for trimming the exteriors of blocks of clay, in combination, a carrier or support on which a block may rest, a trimming knife consisting of a rotatable body having a blade extending along it, means for occasioning,during the trimming of the block, the regular constant feed or advance of one of said devices with respect to the other along a line of travel'in approximate parallelism with the external face of the block acted on by said knife, a frame in which said knife is mounted, an axle or the like upon which said frame has swinging movement, means for occasioning the rotation of said knife, and

means for securing said frame in different positions of adjustment.

4. In an apparatus for trimming blocks of clay, in combination, a carrying device for a block, means for occasioning, during the trimming of a block, the regular constant advance of said carrying device past the knife to continuously present in such advance successive continuous portions of the block surface to the action of the knife, a rotating trimming knife, consisting of a rotatable body havingalongitudinally extending blade, a frame in which said knife is mounted, an axle, trunnions or the like upon which said frame has swinging movement, a driving wheel concentric with the axle on which the swinging frame moves, a driven wheel connected and concentric with the trimming knife, a belt for communicating power from the first-mentioned wheel to the last, means for driving said first-mentioned wheel, and means for securing the frame in different positions of adjustment, substantially as set forth.

5. In an apparatus for trimming blocks of clay, in combination, a carrying device for a block, means for occasioning, during the trimming of a block, the regular advance of said carrying device along a line in approximate parallelism with the external face of the block acted on by said knife, a rotating knife, consisting of a rotatable body having a longitudinally extending blade, a movable frame in which said knife is mounted, an axle, trunnions or the like upon which said frame has swinging movement, a pulley connected with an axle or shaft connected with said knife, and a pulley concentric with the shaft or trunnions on which the frame has swinging movement, a belt connective of said two pulleys, a second pulley concentric with said shaft or trunnions on which the swinging frame has movement, a belt connective of said last mentioned pulley and. a main or driving shaft, and means for securing said movable frame in different positions of adjustment, substantially as set forth.

6. In an apparatus for trimming blocks of clay, in combination, a carrier for a block, means for occasioning the travel of said carrier, a movable frame, a knife shaft supported in said frame, means for occasioning the rotation of said knife shaft, a recess in said frame opposite the knife shaft, a rotatable knife one axle of said knife being mounted in the recess, and a sleeve connective of the other axle of the knife and the knife shaft, substantially as set forth.

7. In an apparatus for trimming blocks of clay, in combination, a main frame, a carrier for a block, means for occasioning, during the trimming of a carried block, the constant travel of said carrier and block past the r0 tating knives, a series of independent frames, hingedly or pivotally mounted in said main frame, and. free for swinging movement to-.

ward and from the path traversed by a block IIO carried through the structure, a series of ro- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as tatable knives, one mounted in each of said myinventionlhave hereunto signed my name .10 independent frames, means for occasioning this 30th day of March, A. D. 1901.

the rotation of said rotatable knives in difierent positions in which they are carried in the IRA LEWIb CONKLING' movement of the movable frames, and means In presence of for securing said movable frames in different I THOs. K. LANCASTER,

positions of adjustment. 1 F. NORMAN DIXON. 

